In the spring of 2020, as we all well know, a pandemic hit the globe and life changed drastically, seemingly overnight. My portrait studio had to close down and life became so much more restricted than it ever had been for me, personally. Without jobs I’d been anticipating nor people to photograph, I found myself searching for solace, comfort, inspiration and hope in a time of global uncertainty. In light of this searching, I started creating still life work partially because I’ve always loved still life paintings by old masters and contemporary artists alike, and partially to express my faith that joy and fulfillment can be found in simple, everyday things.

Having been forced to slow down and to narrow my life down as well, I chose the subjects in this work to honour and celebrate the simple, staple joys in life - food, nature, light. The more I explored the still life work, the more curious and obsessed I became. As I started to look at the immediate physical world around me in a slow appreciative way, deliberately noticing the food I ate, the flowers on the side of the road as I walked to work, the light streaming through my bedroom window, the more I discovered elements of everyday life that were worthy of contemplation and celebration.

This still life featuring the simplest of foods - onions, bread, cheese - feels like a celebration of all of that. Of slowing down, of self-care, of gratitude for everyday things, of nourishment (bodily and otherwise.)

In a year full of craptasticness, I do think it's important to acknowledge the positive things that accompanied the negatives. This meditative art practice is one of those, for me. And I hope the results have brightened the days of others, as well. Thank you to all of you who have supported my artwork through the year, whether it was by commenting on social media, following along with my behind-the-scenes shenanigans on instagram, or by purchasing a print. All of it truly means the world to me and has kept me going when I have felt like giving up.

So let's say goodbye to this strange year, and turn our eyes and hopes toward better times for 2021.

xo Alexis